DeWitt community shares lessons in love, life through poetry
By Nathan McAlone
October 8, 2014 - 11:31pm
A free workshop on writing love poetry at the DeWitt Community Library brings quirky and touching moments from community members.

Love can be an erupting volcano, purring, the emotional trajectory of a yo-yo or even an aardvark. These were just some of the thoughts shouted out by eager participants in a free love poetry workshop held at the DeWitt Community Library. Local poet and retired librarian Martin Willitts Jr., 65, had invited the dozen or so members of the crowd to expand their definition of love through free association, while he scrawled their responses on a large sheet of paper.   

Panhandlers driving away business
By Molly Smith
October 7, 2014 - 10:48am
A new housing initiative aims to get homeless off Syracuse's downtown streets.

More than 400 people in Onondaga County live without a roof over their heads on any given day according to the Housing and Homeless Coalition of Syracuse and Onondaga County.  But a fragment of this population, who have claimed an I-81 underpass as their home, have emerged as a problem for at least one businessman who said their presence is scaring off his clients. 

Brooklyn on Tech: SU alums build a platform for future leaders
By Varuni Sinha
October 5, 2014 - 1:17am
The new nonprofit organization provides students with resources to succeed in today's technology-centered society.

Brooklyn on Tech, a nonprofit dedicated to building the next generation of technological entrepreneurs, held its first "Tech Flex Launch” in Dumbo, Brooklyn this Friday.

Founded in 2013 by two Syracuse University alumni, Jessica Santana and Evin Robinson, the nonprofit’s focus is Brooklyn.

“It’s not a secret. There has been an effort to address the digital divide, but there’s still a lack of meaningful participation in tech-related fields by those from historically underrepresented backgrounds,” Santana said.

Ukrainian-Americans feel effects of Ukraine turmoil in everyday lives
By Nathan McAlone
September 30, 2014 - 8:42pm
Ukrainian-Americans in the U.S. reflect on the conflict and political turmoil back home.

On most Saturdays since February, 22-year-old Carrie Tkacz has walked past the stately rounded spires of St. John the Baptist Ukrainian Catholic Church and back into school, this time to study Ukrainian language. The words from class, like vegetables and colors, brought her closer to not only her heritage, but specifically her Ukrainian-born grandmother, who would giggle when she got the phrasing wrong.

Believe In Syracuse: Westcott edition
By Haley Chouinard
September 27, 2014 - 1:42pm
Community organization Believe In Syracuse aims to raise morale and awareness of the neighborhoods in Syracuse.

When John DeSantis graduated from Syracuse University in 2008, he noticed a trend that alarmed him.

“I loved my time here and so I decided to stay in Syracuse,” DeSantis said. “But I saw all of my friends move away. No one wanted to stay and I thought, ‘Man, there must really be a lack of enthusiasm about living in Syracuse if everyone is moving away after they graduate.’”

Students represent local issues at People's Climate March
By Valerie Crowder
September 23, 2014 - 2:58pm
Hundreds of SU and SUNY-ESF students marched alongside more than 300,000 other demonstrators in New York City at the largest climate change march ever.

At the People’s Climate March, students from Syracuse University and SUNY-ESF called for their universities to stop investing in fossil fuels, as well as other ways to make their campuses more sustainable.

23rd Westcott Street Cultural Fair celebrates historic neighborhood
By Irfan Uraizee
September 21, 2014 - 5:00pm
A lack of sunshine couldn't dampen the storied Westcott neighborhood's unique offering of food, art and culture.

For Westcott residents and neighbors, overcast skies and a lack of sunshine couldn’t put a damper on the 23rd iteration of the Westcott Street Cultural Fair.  Despite the miserable weather, the people, food and vibrant culture of the historic Westcott neighborhood seemed to shine even brighter.

“What makes Westcott unique is the mix of different people that we have here. The energy and the activism of the neighborhood that you won’t see anywhere else,” said Marcellus resident Sondra Bromka.

Syracuse's International Arts and Puppet Festival continues despite rain
By Ricardo Imbert
September 15, 2014 - 2:32pm
A last-minute rain schedule allowed families to have a good time at the Open Hand Theater's festival even in dreary weather.

Even though they couldn’t see a puppet parade or outdoor circus acts, families had fun with rainy-day activities at this year’s International Arts and Puppet Festival.

Two individuals, 46 mountains, one week: A climb to fight depression
By Varuni Sinha
September 12, 2014 - 11:57am
Two Clarkson University students hike all 46 Adirondack High Peaks to raise awareness for suicide prevention.

Kolby Ziemendorf, a mechanical engineering alumnus from Clarkson University, lost his high school classmate Greg Lombardo to depression and suicide in 2010. Rattled by this tragic incident, Ziemendorf, 22, struggled to find answers.

While sitting in church one day, an idea came to him: a way to honor Lombardo’s life. He would climb 46 peaks of the Adirondack Mountains in seven days to help raise awareness on this sensitive issue.

Refugees watching the Iraqi divide from afar
By Christine Rushton
August 28, 2014 - 1:13pm
Middle Eastern refugees in Syracuse worry about Iraqi relatives living in the violence back home.